


Far Longer Than Forever

by OpalSpirit



Series: Folktales AU [3]
Category: Loki - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Swan Princess (1994), Tom Hiddleston - Fandom, Лебединое озеро - Чайковский | Swan Lake - Tchaikovsky
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal Transformation, Asgard (Marvel), Atticus - Freeform, Avengers Tower, Based off Swan Lake and Swan Princess, Class Differences, Curse Breaking, Curses, F/M, First Kiss, Folklore, Forbidden Love, Implied Smut, Lang Leav, Legends, Lines taken from Loki's Whispers, Longing, Love Confessions, Michael Faudet, Midgard, Mistaken Identity, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting, Pablo Neruda's Poetry, Post-Avengers (2012), Protective Loki, Reunions, Revenge, Slow Burn, Spells & Enchantments, Stolen Moments, Story within a Story, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Tragic Romance, True Love, balls, beau taplin, betrothals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:42:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24006067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpalSpirit/pseuds/OpalSpirit
Summary: Their story became part of folklore and fairytales. The story of a Princess cursed to take the form of a swan during the day, only to return to her natural form once the moon rose.The stories were wrong in but two regards. She was no Princess. She bore no title. And it was no sorcerer who cursed her. But the father of the man she loved. She was a maid, a servant in the Palace in which he was Prince.Blamed for seducing Asgard's second Prince, she was cursed. A curse only to be broken by the purest act of love. Their story would cement itself as one of history's greatest romances.Calling upon his enemies and his brother to protect her, Loki fights every opportunity to be married off and for the chance to break the curse on the one he loves.
Relationships: Loki/Reader
Series: Folktales AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799605
Comments: 13
Kudos: 100





	1. Because I love her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were my beautiful mistake and I don't regret anything. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. 
> 
> ~ Michael Faudet

"Your lips are so soft. I could kiss them all day."

Giggling at his words, Y/N ducked her head and nuzzled into his neck, her arms wrapped 'round his waist. "But then no work would be completed and the palace would fall into ruin," she teased and kissed the skin beneath his ear. She smiled against him as a light shudder passed through him.

"Oh I don't know," Loki replied, quickly switching their positions so she lay beneath him. "I rather enjoy this sort of work."

Any words she might have said in reply were soon devoured by the Prince above her. Her lips molded with his perfectly, almost as though they had been fashioned for the other. She barely felt the silken sheets beneath her as they moved together, their bodies fitting perfectly and sliding sensuously against one another.

Throwing her head back, Y/N gasped. His lips had left her own to light a trail of fire down the column of her throat. With desperate hands, she clutched at his arms first, then his back, drawing him closer, deeper.

"Oh my gorgeous creature," he breathed as she arched against him, her breasts pressed to his chest. "Do not doubt for one second my love for you. You are the beauty that could love a beast, and you are the reason there is sunlight in my life again."

"Loki," she moaned as his gentle pace increased.

"Come my darling," he continued, smiling tenderly down at her. His heart raced at the mere sight of her, and not only now, but everyday. Should he be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of her as she went about her duties. "Let me bury my face in your h/c hair and inhale your intoxicating scent." Even attired in the simple uniform of a palace maid, she was more radiant than the noblest of the court ladies.

The soft light of the morning sun illuminated the lovers, their cries of pleasure muffled in the kisses they stole.

Collapsing on the bed beside her, Loki drew her close and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Y/N snuggled in, tangling their legs together. "I do not believe that another could love as I love you," she said softly, looking up to meet his emerald gaze. Reaching up, she cupped his cheek and drew him down for a kiss.

Meeting her lips with his own, Loki made to deepen the kiss, when his chamber doors were flung open and who should stand at the foot of his bed, but his adopted father. Odin Allfather.

Mustering a poisonous glare while simultaneously covering a frightened Y/N who was trembling against him, Loki met Odin's gaze head-on. "What do you want?" He hissed, his arms tightening around Y/N.

"I simply came to see of the rumours were true," the King replied, meeting his son's glare. "And unfortunately, they are."

"Rumours?" Loki repeated while absently tracing soothing patterns along her back.

"Indeed," Odin muttered before gesturing behind him. "Guards."

Clothing her with a simple spell, Loki gently moved her to sit up.

The clatter of armour clad feet echoed through the Prince's chamber as two pairs of guards entered. "My liege," they said in unison.

"Take the girl," Odin instructed, "and restrain the Prince."

Everything happened so fast. Y/N kicked and screamed in protest while Loki fought off the ones that attempted to take hold of him. "Let her go," he snarled. "You animals."

"Did you really think that you would be able to hide this from me forever?" Odin was saying. Nodding to the door, he instructed them, "take them to the throne room. The whole of Asgard ought to bare witness."

Y/N grew limp with shock, all the blood leaving her face. "Loki?" She whispered as the guards clapped shackles on her wrists.

"Deep breaths my darling," he soothed and smiled gently. "Calm yourself, I am right here. I will not leave you."

It looked as though the whole realm was there. A sea of people greeted them and made Y/N want to melt into what shadows still remained. The shackles were heavy and tight around her wrists and she could already feel them begin to grow irritated by the harsh metal.

The cavernous room was silent as both were brought forward. Y/N was forced to her knees, while Loki was allowed to remain standing. With a simple spell he had attired himself in his princely attire. Black leather, accented with gold and green. With his chin lifted in arrogant defiance, he made for an impressive sight.

The teeth shattering clash of the Allfather's spear hitting the ground reverberated through the throne room.

She did not dare to look up. No matter how much she wish to. In the polished marble below her, she saw herself. Scared, pale and trembling. Her h/c hair hung loose around her shoulders.

It was Loki who broke the deafening silence. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded.

For a short while there was no reply and all Y/N could hear was the rapid beating of her heart.

Then Odin spoke. "The seduction of a member of the royal family is a crime. Treason."

At his words, Y/N looked up in horror and confusion.

"What?" Loki hissed from above her.

"My son," the King continued, "it has become clear to me that this woman here," he paused and gestured down to Y/N. "Is no simple palace maid as she would have us believe. It takes great skill to seduce as she has done. Skills that come from the dark arts."

"What?" Y/N whispered, unable to speak any louder.

"That is ridiculous," Loki retorted, earning a wave of gasps from the crowd behind them. "She does not wield seidr, dark or otherwise. And do you not think I would have felt it?"

"What makes you so confident?" Odin demanded, looking down at his son.

"I think the better question here is," Loki replied, "what makes _you_ so confident?"

"It is evident that you are blinded by misguided affections for this woman," Odin said, "nothing more than a passing fancy."

At the same time as Y/N whimpered, "no," Loki shook his head. "And that is where you are wrong."

From her place beside the King, Frigga watched with baited breath. Her heart reached out to them both as she silently ached to take them both in her arms. Y/N looked so small and the most terrified the Queen had ever seen her. Loki was furious, a blind man would have been able to see it. Yet the calm he exuded was all the more chilling.

"And how is that?" The King demanded, narrowing his good eye.

"If this were a passing fancy," Loki replied, "or a calculated seduction on her part, then there would be no need for such a public display. It would have been dealt with behind closed doors. There would have been an inquest." 

"Her hooks are lodged deeper than I thought," Odin murmured. "My son, you are not to blame. There is no denying her physical appeal. You have had your fun, now you must let the Crown's justice prevail."

"Had my fun?" Loki repeated, voice going soft in shock.

"Your Majesty please," Y/N spoke up, drawing a surprised look from the Prince beside her. Swallowing hard and taking a deep breath, she dared to raise her eyes.

"Silence," a guard standing behind her hissed.

"No," Frigga said, holding up a hand. Her soft, yet firm voice carried across the chamber as surely as her husband's did. "Allow her to speak. Let us hear what she has to say for herself."

Y/N could not help but stare at the Queen. The woman nodded and smiled so faintly she believed she had imagined it. The guard standing behind her pulled her to her feet. Stumbling slightly before regaining her footing, Y/N bowed her head and spoke in a voice that trembled like the last leaf in autumn. "Your Majesties. I have but one explanation. I know that it will not aid me, but it is the truth."

"What is it?' Frigga asked kindly, briefly glancing over to where Loki stood, having subtly inched closer to the terrified maid. She saw as one of his hands twitched, the fingers extending slightly before curling back into a fist.

Silence fell over the gathered crowd. A heavy silence.

Taking a deep breath, Y/N lifted her chin and willed her voice to remain steady. "I love him." As she spoke, she looked directly at the Allfather. Those three words, though she did not shout them, echoed as though she had.

Y/N held the King's gaze even as she felt Loki's piercing eyes burn holes into her back.

Frigga's gaze wavered to her son at the maid's words. The look in his eyes took her breath away. A mixture of disbelief, admiration, confusion and heartbreaking vulnerability. Even from where she stood, she could see the glisten of unshed tears. Never had Loki allowed himself to be so open before the public before.

"Is that so?" Odin asked, leaning forward slightly. "And does he return these supposed affections?"

Without missing a beat, Loki stepped closer to her. "I do," he declared. It was his words that caused an uproar from the crowd and a visible reaction from the King.

"Then you leave me no choice," the Allfather said and gestured for the guards to bring Y/N forward.

Once again forced to her knees, Y/N bowed her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Y/N Y/L/N, you have committed high treason. Overstepping the boundaries set forth by your superiors and taking advantage of Prince Loki's unmarried status. With full knowledge of the consequences, you set your sights on him. Death is a too kind a punishment."

Her heart hammered within her as she waited with baited breath.

"I hereby curse you for the remainder of your natural life," Odin declared, his announcement eliciting a cry of denial from Loki. "I curse you to take the form of a swan. The night will be your companion, for only then will you return to your natural state."

"Allfather please," it was the first time she had heard Loki beg. Least of all before those he barely tolerated. He knelt beside her, his pleading gaze directed at the King. "Such a fate is crueler than death."

"Precisely," Odin replied and lifted his spear. "As of now, in the sight of all of Asgard, I enact this curse." With those words he brought the spear down.

As the spear made contact with the marble, Y/N felt a sharp pain shoot through her entire being. The guards retreated from her as she screamed. At intervals her bones began to break and reform. White feathers pierced through her skin like needles, causing her to bleed.

Never before had he felt so helpless. Y/N's cries echoed through the filled hall, each a stab to his heart. She had long since collapsed from the pain and her body writhed on the cool marble. Loki watched in horror as her neck began to lengthen and as her hands slowly reformed into the tips of snow-white wings. Her legs shrunk and her feet became webbed.

A mess of blood, small feathers and the tattered remains of her clothing surrounded a now fully formed white swan. Instantly, she turned to Loki. The Prince opened his arms and gathered her to him. Her long neck curled around his, her head resting over his heart.

Clutching her close, Loki gave up all pretense. The tears he had been restraining now broke free and fell on her soft white feathers. "Oh my love," he whispered. "I am so sorry. So very sorry."

Y/N shook her head and nuzzled his neck. "You do not bare blame, dear heart."

Loki looked to her in shock. "You can speak?"

The swan nodded. "As well as I did before."

It was truly as sight to behold. The Dark Prince, kneeling amidst a crowd, holding a swan close to his heart, his head bowed.

"Only an act of the purest love will cause the curse to break," Odin announced, causing both Loki and Y/N to look up. The Allfather's one-eyed gaze fell on the kneeling Prince. "You claim to love her? Now you must show it. For should you fail, your precious maid will remain a swan forever."


	2. The first day of forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She wore the midnight moon and nothing else. 
> 
> ~ Atticus

Never had the day felt longer. Or more painful.

Everything hurt. From the tips of her new wings right down to her webbed feet. The feeling of the breeze gently ruffling her feathers would take her a good while to get used to. The water of the lake supported her aching body, the coolness soothing her and washing away what blood remained.

Loki watched her from the shore. She was as yet too weak to support herself, so he had taken her there. A lake on the far side of the palace grounds, shielded from prying eyes by a towering hedge of blossoming star-jasmine. Just how long it would take for her to regain her strength, neither of them knew.

She appeared so small on the vast lake. A lone figure.

How had it come to this? They had been so very careful, diligent and watchful. No one save for the Queen had known and it was not likely that she would be the one who had betrayed them.

A sudden splash brought Loki back to the present. Blinking and shaking his head, he saw Y/N struggle to right herself after having momentarily lost balance. Righting herself, she immediately looked to him. Paddling with her new feet, she swam closer to shore.

"Darling?" Loki called out to her, rising to meet her. "What are you doing?" He asked as he waded into the shallows of the lake. Raising a hand, he gently cupped her face and smiled softly as she nuzzled his palm. "Does it still hurt?" 

Y/N nodded. "Everywhere," she replied and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "It hurts everywhere. When will it stop?"

His heart broke for her, knowing he had no answer to give her.

"I will end this," he said instead. "Your pain. Your suffering. This curse. Norns help me, I will end it and we will be together again."

"Forever?" She asked softly.

The Prince nodded and bent to touch his forehead to hers. "Far longer than forever," he replied.

"I like that," Y/N whispered.

"We will be so happy," he murmured and closed his eyes, seeing their future behind his closed lids. "So content."

"I will live each day in hope," she replied. "For each day will be a step closer."

"I wish for you to have this," Loki said, drawing slightly away to present her with a small object. "A solid, physical reminder of my promise to you."

The tears she had been holding back spilled down her cheek. "A ring," she whispered before looking up to meet his tender gaze. "Your word is enough. I need no material proof."

"Will you accept it? And wear it?"

"How? I have no hands."

Loki smiled softly before fashioning a golden chain and looping it through the ring. Reaching out, he gently lifted it over her head and let it settle over her snow-white breast. "There," he murmured.

"I will wear it always," Y/N replied and looked down at the ring. A band of gold, inset with a singular emerald. It sparkled becomingly in the afternoon sun. "I swear it."

"I was meaning to gift it to you for your next birthday."

"I do not deserve such gifts."

His smile grew and he gently stroked the fine feathers along her neck. "You deserve so much more than I am able to give."

"Do not say such things my love," Y/N said and softly butted his hand, earning a chuckle from him. "You are a Prince. I am a mere palace maid, a being of little consequence."

"No no," he said softly. "You are my Queen. My love. My heart and soul. There is no being in all the Nine, nay the whole universe, that could compare to you."

Leaning forward, she wrapped her neck around his, as she had done in the throne room and rested her head over his heart. "I do not regret one single moment with you."

Gently touching his cheek against hers, Loki hummed in agreement and wrapped his arms gently around her, feeling her wings envelop him.

The sun was beginning to hang low in the sky when Loki was called back to the palace. A nervous guard came to fetch him.

"I will return after the feast," he said to her as he helped to settle her back in the water. "I will come back."

Nodding and pecking him lightly on the cheek, Y/N watched him go. As he disappeared around the hedge, she sighed and turned to look over the vast lake. This was her world now. From the golden halls of the palace to this lake.

Paddling slowly out into the centre of the lake, she simply floated there. The moon would soon rise and the pain would come again. Looking up at the darkening sky, she let her mind wander. Would the feast be large that night? Would all the servants be called out? She imagined that she could smell the food cooking in the palace kitchens. She smiled as best she could as her mind's eye saw him, dressed in his royal finery. All greens and blacks with shining flecks of gold that caught on the candlelight.

She had never been called to serve in the feasting hall. Though she would sneak glimpses of the chamber during her rounds and imagine what it would be like, filled with the chatter of countless guests and the rich smell of food mixed with the endless flow of mead.

Her mother served there, but not she. She relied on the stories told to her and created an image of her own.

Did her mother know what had happened? Did her father? Surely by now the stories would have spread? A wave of longing to see them crashed into her.

Above her, the sky continued to darken as the sun's light departed. The stars began to appear and as the sun had set, the pale orb of the moon began to rise. Its silvery light transformed all that it touched. Y/N braced herself as the light spread closer to her.

She ought to have moved to the shallows. For as it had happened that morning, the reverse happened now. The water swallowed her screams and cries of pain as her body reformed. Thrashing in the water, unable to touch the bottom, blinded by pain, Y/N was convinced that she was dying.

White feathers floated in the water around her, her blood tinting it a light red. Hanging suspended in the water, Y/N did not have the strength to move. Forcing her eyes open, she looked up at the moon, distorted by the water above her.

Mustering what little strength had returned to her, she lifted her head from the water and slowly, painfully made her way to the shore. Her arms and legs trembled and burned as she pulled herself towards the grassed shoreline. Her clothes had been torn during her first transformation, leaving her completely bare. Shivering as the night breeze brushed over her, Y/N sought for any cover when her gaze landed on a small bundle.

Reaching out with violently trembling hands, she pulled the bundle towards her. The soft, thick fabric spoke for itself. A blanket. Woven of Asgard's finest fabric and embroidered with intricate patterns. Weeping at the sheer thoughtfulness, she pulled the blanket around her shivering body and using a nearby tree, forced herself to stand. Leaning heavily against the trunk, she fought to calm her breathing.

The feasts of Asgard were known to last long into the morning. That was what she dreaded. If he was unable to come to her, then she would go to him. Damn the condemning stares and accusing whispers.

Stumbling her way through the gardens, she collapsed many times, often crawling along. Her knees and palms were soon given to bleeding and her breathing was more laboured than before. Everything hurt. Every breath, every minute movement.

She did not make it to the palace. The moment she had the Queen's garden in her sights, she was unable to go any further. An invisible force was preventing her from entering, no matter how hard she tried to push against it.

"Loki," she called, though it came out as a hoarse whisper. A pained whimper. "Loki?"

His name echoed around her as she continued to call for him. Each call getting weaker and weaker until she finally collapsed. In an ungainly heap she lay there, eyes closed to the realm.

Under any normal circumstance, he would already have made his departure. Never had the raucous laughter of the courtiers and guests sounded so loud. Never had they grated his nerves more. Taking a delicate sip of his wine, Loki sighed irritably. He should be with her. He had told her he would return.

A quick glance to his left saw the Allfather in a deep conversation with an official of the court. He saw his chance and he would take it.

"Go," Frigga whispered beside him, startling him slightly. "I will ensure no one notices."

Sparing his mother a quick kiss to the cheek in thanks and a murmured 'good night,' he left the hall behind.

The servants and guards paid him little mind. His cloak trailed behind him as he made his way through the well known corridors and hallways. The soft light of the torches guiding him until he came to the gardens.

"I am coming my love," he whispered into the night. "I am coming."

When he saw her, he fell to his knees. She was in a truly pitiful state. Her bare legs were barely curled up and her arms were stretched out, as though she had been reaching for something. Her hair, not yet dry, lay tangled around her face and on the path beneath her.

Reaching out, he hissed in confusion as his hand met resistance. Pushing again, he felt it stronger. Gritting his teeth, he poured his own magic into it. The ward fought back. It repelled him and threw him back.

Scrambling to his feet, he went back.

"Y/N?" He whispered, "Y/N can you hear me?"

When she stirred, his heart leaped. But her eyes remained closed, she did not have the strength to open them.

"Did you truly believe it would have been that easy?"

Loki froze at the sound of that voice. Curling his hands into fists, he stood and turned to face the speaker. A sneer curled his lips. "You cast the wards?" 

The King nodded.

"Why?"

"I need not explain myself to you boy," Odin replied coldly.

"You do," Loki said, forcing calm into his voice. "When it concerns the woman I love."

"Love?" The Allfather repeated, laughing. "This is not love. You know nothing of the word. A mere infatuation this is, in time you will come to see that I am right."

The Prince shook his head. "That is not likely to occur. If this was a mere infatuation, then why punish her?"

"Punish her?" Odin asked, "no my boy, I am not punishing her. I am punishing _you."_

"Why?" 

"That," the King said, "is for me to know. And for you to find out."

Before Loki could get in a word more, the Allfather stepped away and melted back into the shadows. Falling to his knees the moment they were alone, he reached out and silently cursed the King. His hand was splayed against the ward, the tingling sensation fast becoming uncomfortable.

She did not wake. Her exhausted, abused body lay wrapped in the blanket she had found. The Prince stayed with her, refusing to leave her side, even when Frigga came. The Queen smiled softly on seeing the blanket. So Y/N had found it then, that was good.

"Come Loki," she said softly. "Come back inside."

"No," he shook his head. "I promised her I would be there. I told her I would return."

"And you have," his mother said and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. "You kept your word."

"I should have been there," he muttered with a note of self-loathing. "I should have been there for her."

Frigga felt her heart break at his words. Y/N had to suffer the transformation on her own. It was a wonder she had made it this far. "And so you will be. Tomorrow. There is always tomorrow."

If only those words had been the truth. For the wards were not merely for one night, but for eternity. Both the Queen and the Prince remained unaware that this was Y/N and Loki's new reality. The night that freed her, trapped him.


	3. Of stories told...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In me nothing is extinguished or forgotten. 
> 
> ~ Pablo Neruda

"You have to take her, brother. Please."

Thor looked at his brother, speechless. Of all the things he had expected his brother's summons to be about, this was not it. "Take her where?" He asked, glancing down at the swan that was resting her head against Loki's arm. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be resting, not listening to what was being said. Her transformation had left her exhausted and barely able to leave the lake.

There was not an ounce of hesitation in Loki's voice when he answered. "Midgard."

"Midgard?" Thor repeated. "Of all the realms in the Nine, why that one?"

"She will be safe there," Loki replied, looking down at her and gently stroking the fine feathers on her head. She burrowed into his hand at his actions. "It is under your protection and it is not likely Odin will bother her there."

"Midgard is a big realm, brother," Thor protested. "Surely you do not wish for me to simply leave her there? Alone?"

The younger Prince shook his head and met his brother's gaze. "She will not be alone. Take her to your friends. Charge them with her care. Tell them what story you must, only keep her safe. Away from the Allfather's grasp."

The desperation in his voice was poorly disguised and surprised Thor greatly. "Does she know of this?" He asked softly. "Does she know you are planning to send her away?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Loki answered, his voice was the softest Thor had ever heard it and bore a pain that went deeper than any the older Prince was familiar with. "How am I to tell her? I can barely bear the thought of our separation. My heart threatens to break at the mere notion."

"This will anger her," Thor murmured.

"I know," he whispered. "But I would rather bare her anger and know she was safe, than have her close and in constant danger."

"There is a chance she may not forgive you for making this decision without her," Thor warned.

"Her life means more to me than my own," Loki replied firmly. "She is in this position because of me. It was my fault she was cursed to an eternity of suffering. Let me make this right, brother. Please."

"That is twice you have begged me," Thor muttered, eyes narrowing in thought. "You would forsake your own pride and dignity for her well-being?"

Loki nodded. "In a heartbeat. In time I will return for her, I promise."

"It is not to me that you must make such a vow," Thor replied. "It is her heart that will break upon realising what you have done. Not mine."

"She cannot hear me," Loki said, tenderly stroking her head and long neck. "She is sleeping."

"You enchanted her sleep?" Thor asked in disbelief.

"I had to," his brother replied. "The pain of her transformation afforded her no rest."

"If I were to agree to this, what would I tell her? What could I possibly tell her?"

"Something she would believe."

Thor would never forget how his brother's voice trembled as he spoke to the slumbering swan. Nor how his face, usually wiped clean of any emotion, was now a canvas of heartbreak as he held her close. "You own my heart. For all eternity. Even if you should hate me for what I am about to do. Please know, you are the first thing on my mind, the last thought before sleep, and my truest love."

As Thor gathered the swan close, he saw Loki turn away. Only turning at the last moment to catch one last glimpse of her before the bifrost took them away. Thor would not see the tears in his brother's eyes, nor hear the gasp that stuttered past his lips as he held a hand to his heart.

Their arrival at the compound went by no means unnoticed. The bifrost left a scorching mark on the manicured grass. Thor cared little for it as he made his way to the compound. Already Tony was running out to no doubt berate him for once again ruining the grass.

"Can you, just for once, not land on the grass?" The billionaire called. "I just had it redo- why are you carrying a swan?"

"Allow me to explain once I have brought her indoors," Thor replied, nodding to the door that stood open.

More curious than annoyed, Tony relented and followed the blonde Prince.

Crossing the threshold, Thor turned to his companion. "Might there be a body of water nearby?"

"Um yeah, the pool on the floor above us," Tony replied. "Why?"

Thor said nothing as he navigated his way through the compound, coming at last to the location that Tony had described. Through the room's glass walls, the sun could easily be seen sinking towards the horizon. He did not have much time.

Kneeling by the pool's edge, Thor gently lay her in the shallows and stood. "Come, Stark," he said, "there is much I must explain to you and the others."

"I'll say," Tony muttered as he trailed after Thor, looking over his shoulder at the swan before closing the door behind him.

Two hours later saw Thor standing before the assembled Avengers, each in different stages of processing the story he had just told them. One could have heard a pin drop in the silence that had descended.

"We have stories where this shit happens," Clint muttered, shaking his head. "There's no way this actually happened."

"It is the unfortunate truth," Thor replied and sighed heavily. "I would not lie to you, my friends."

"But why bring her here?" Natasha piped up. "Surely there is an abundance of suitable places."

Thor shook his head. "It was on Loki's suggestion that I bring her here."

"Then, in no way, can this bode well for any of us," Tony said, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. "If ol' Reindeer Games thinks we're gonna look after his girlfriend, he's got something else coming."

"Stark," Thor said, turning in Tony's direction. "My brother does not trust many people and she is everything to him. Her safety matters more than his pride, thus leading him to believe that you all would be best suited to care for her while he searches for a way to break the enchantment."

"I don't like this, Thor," Steve murmured, shaking his head and steepled his fingers as his elbows rested on his knees. "What if she is like him?"

"She does not wield seidr," Thor explained patiently. "But it is very likely that she will be angered by this turn of events. Loki did not tell her of his plan to send her away."

It was a heavy silence that settled over them now. When Pietro accidentally dropped the pen he was twirling, the sound made the team jump at the disturbance and Wanda glared at her twin.

A loud thud on the door had Pietro hit his head on the table's underside as he bent to retrieve the pen. Clint was so startled he almost fell from his chair in surprise. All the others were staring at the glass wall behind Thor.

Seeing their wide eyes and have heard the sound himself, Thor turned and saw her.

Soaked to the bone and wearing not a stitch of clothing, she glared at the group before her. Blood trailed down her arms and legs in tiny rivulets, mixing with the water than dripped from her hair. One hand was pressed against the glass in a fist and her chest was heaving.

"Is that-?" Tony began and trailed off as Thor nodded.

"Let me speak with her," the god said, holding up a hand to the team. "She does not know where she is."

Nodding and murmuring in agreement, they let him go.

The moment Thor left the room, she turned on him. "Where am I?" She whimpered, eyes desperate as she looked at him. "Where is he? Your Highness, where is Loki?"

His arms caught her as her legs gave way. "Hush now," he soothed, holding her shaking form close. "Shhh."

"Where am I?" She asked again, cheek resting against the cool metal of his armour. Her breath stuttered in and out of her and Thor moved to cover her with his cloak.

The fabric did little to warm her. Where was she? Where was Loki? This place did not look like the gardens of Asgard. Why wouldn't Prince Thor answer her?

"You are on Midgard, little one," Thor said softly.

"Midgard," she repeated and dared to look up at the towering Prince. "Is Loki here too?"

This was what Thor had been dreading and his silence was her answer.


	4. Strange new world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hell exists.  
> it's here.  
> 3am.  
> awake and  
> without you.
> 
> ~ Beau Taplin (Hell)

"Where is Loki, Your Highness?"

As before, Thor remained silent. Words did not come as easily to him as they did with his dear brother. His very absent brother. Y/N's eyes were wide, her hands shook as they rested against his armour.

It felt as though centuries had passed them by before Thor finally found it within himself to speak. His voice was soft, a tentative whisper. "He remains on Asgard."

Those words. Those four words. Why, they would have brought her to her knees had Thor not caught her. Lifting her, he cradled her close, still wrapped in his cloak. Paying no mind to the no doubt very-curious-Avengers, the Prince settled the two of them atop one of the many sofas that littered the commons area.

"Why?" Was all she asked. She did not look up at him, but rather out the window, as though the Bifrost might come thundering down, bringing Loki with it.

"He sought only to protect you," Thor replied, looking in the same direction as she.

Minutely, she shook her head. Her arms came up and circled her form, clutching the crimson cloak tighter.

"He knew well that this decision would anger you when you came to be aware of it."

"Anger?" She murmured. "Not anger. Never anger. Disappointment perhaps, but never anger."

"My brother firmly believed this to be the best course of action," Thor said, looking down at her.

"To separate us?" She whispered, seemingly unable to speak any louder. "To bring me to a world where he is hated? To be among people that despise him and would take his life given the smallest chance?"

Sighing, Thor remained silent. Her words were the truth. He knew that, as did Loki.

"I cannot be without him," she continued, the Prince's silence meaning little to her. Her throat convulsed as she swallowed back the tears stinging at her eyes. Her jaw quivered and her breaths were becoming shallower. "Not in this world. Not anywhere. My heart needs him close-" one hand rose to rest over her heart, clawing at the skin there. "I need him."

Knowing precious little about what else he might do, Thor drew her closer than before. He was startled to find just how violently she was shaking. "Breathe with me," he said, his voice low and calm. "Breathe with me, little one. Calm your heart where it now races within you."

She was reluctant at first, if a little stubborn. But then, little by little, her breaths came to match his own. Her trembling subsided and gave way to tears. They burned their way down her cheeks and stung her eyes.

"Why?" She whimpered against him. "Why?"

"To keep you safe," he replied softly, rocking her as one might with a small child.

"Safe from what, Your Highness?" She asked, daring to look up, her eyes bloodshot.

"Our father," Thor said. "He feared what the King might do. He feared that there might be further torment should you remain on Asgard. Your safety and well being matter more to him than his own."

"Then why send me here?" She asked, looking around helplessly. "Why should these people help me? Why did he believe I would be safe here? If they should know of my affiliation, they will likely turn their backs."

"No," Thor shook his head and smiled down at her. "They are not as you would believe. Loki believes this to be the safest place because our father will not be likely to bother you here and as for these people, well..." here he trailed off before sighing. "You know as well as I that my brother trusts very few people. You are among that number. You saw as well as I did how he acted before the court."

Y/N nodded, the memory welling up with shocking clarity.

"His emotions and thoughts are carefully guarded," Thor continued. "He has been spurned too many times by the very people he knelt before not two days past. You matter more to him than his pride. He does not beg or plead, you and I both know that."

Again, she nodded.

"He begged me, pleaded with me to keep you safe. He begged the King, a man he would never kneel willingly before. But for you? We both were witness to his actions and these people? Loki may despise them, but he knows, as do I, that they are our best chance. They protect, he knows that. He believes that, with the correct encouragement, they will help you and keep you safe."

still, she remained silent, her eyes distant.

"Did you mean it?" Thor asked softly, drawing a look of confusion from her. "The words you spoke before the court. The ones you claimed to be your only defence."

"Yes," she whispered, nodding. "Yes, and I would say it again, a thousand times more, in a thousand different languages and ways if only to see him again, to hear him again." Closing her eyes, she curled in on herself as best she could. "To be with him again," she murmured.

"I know you would," Thor replied, feeling rare tears of his own. His arms that circled her, tightened if only a little. "I know and believe that my brother will stop at nothing to find a way to break this enchantment."

"I will wait for him," she whispered, exhaustion swept over her. Her heart ached and her body felt weighed down. Though it was the golden chain that hung from her neck that made her smile. The ring he had given her had settled between her breasts and felt cool despite having lain against her for so long. Reaching for it, she clutched it tight and recalled his words from that day. "I will see you again," she murmured, her eyes closed. "I will wait."

As she fell asleep in his arms, Thor made to stand and approached the Avengers. All of whom grew silent at the sight of her. She wore nothing save for the Prince's cloak, her bare feet poking out. 

"Might there be a bed for her?"

It was Pepper who spoke up, nodding. "Of course," she replied in a hushed tone. "Follow me."

Wordlessly, Thor followed her until they came to a halt before a door. Punching in the numbers on the pad, Pepper opened the door to reveal a room beyond. It was sparsely furnished, but a bed was all Thor sought.

He was loathe to leave her. She was in a strange place, she knew not a soul. Settling her down, Thor gently pulled the bed's blankets atop her and motioned for Pepper to follow him out into the hallway before speaking.

"She has no clothing, as you have well seen-"

Pepper smiled warmly and glanced back at the slumbering woman before looking back to the god before her. "Don't you worry about that," she whispered. "Stay with her and I shall see what I can do regarding the clothing."

"I thank you, Lady Potts," Thor replied, earning a blush from the woman before him. "I fear I cannot express sufficient gratitude for your warmth towards her."

"This is what we do," Pepper said, smiling softly. "If it is in our power to help, then why should we not?"

Thor smiled in return and nodded.

"Now go," she said, nodding to the open door. "She will need what familiarity there is when she wakes."

~ ~ ~

"Are we seriously doing this?" Clint asked, rounding on the group before him.

"It would seem we are," Natasha murmured. "Though I do not see how we'll be of any use if Thor's dad shows up."

"It's not his dad I'm worried about," Clint muttered.

"Never thought I would see the day that Mr. You-Are-All-Beneath Me would ask us for help," Tony quipped, rubbing his chin. "This girl must be something real special for him to do this."

"I don't like this," Clint muttered darkly. "I don't like this at all."

"You don't have to like it, Legolas," Tony said, "no one is asking you to put your life on the line here. Hell, you don't even have to speak to her."

"I find myself agreeing with Clint," Steve said, "if someone like Loki likes someone like her, then there must be another move being played here. It is never quite so simple."

"She looks interesting," Wanda spoke up, earning looks of confusion from everyone, her brother included. Sighing, she explained. "There is something about her that intrigues me. Something I have never seen before."

"She does come from a different world," Pietro said, "perhaps that is why?"

Wanda shook her head, "it is not like that. It is difficult to explain."

"Well," her brother whispered beside her, "she _is_ rather beautiful."

"Are you mad?" His sister hissed. "You know whom she is with. Keep you distance, brother, please. For all our sakes."

Rolling his eyes, Pietro remained silent.

It was that moment that Pepper returned to them. "She is sleeping," she informed the group. "Thor is with her."

"What do you think, Pep?" Tony asked, coming to stand beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Of the girl?" Pepper asked, "or the situation in general?"

"Both."

"Well," she replied. "I am not entirely sure, it is all rather still too early to make an informed decision. For now, we need to let her sleep, after that we can talk. But before that, there is one more errand I must fly to."

Tony sighed as he watched her go. Though she had said precious little on the subject, he knew that look in Pepper's eyes. She was already fond of the girl.

~ ~ ~

One might think that the absence of a single swan would be of no big consequence. In the Palace of the Allfather however, it was very much of consequence.

Odin was furious. Frigga was calm and Loki appeared bored. Thor was nowhere to be seen and that alone was enough for the King to fly into a rage. Enclosed in the King's private chambers, the royal family had gathered.

"You had no right to remove her from the Palace grounds," Odin growled, looking to Loki.

The Prince raised an eyebrow. "What proof have you to believe I had anything to do with it?"

"What reason do I _not_ have?" Odin fired back. "She was _your_ whore-"

"Do not call her that," Loki said, cutting in, his tone low and cold.

"Do not act as though you love her," the King growled at his son. "She is a maid. A passing fancy, a tryst at best."

"Is that all you truly believe me to be capable of?" Loki demanded. "No deeper emotion or connection? Nothing lasting?"

"Do you believe yourself to be capable of such?" Odin asked.

Loki lifted his chin in defiance and narrowed his eyes. He knew the King's answer, and it smarted and stung. "In her," he replied, "I have discovered that yes, I am indeed capable. I share a connection with her that I could not even begin to possibly explain, for there are no words for it."

Frigga, who had remained silent, watched the entire exchange. She knew well what Loki had done and where he had sent her. He had confided his plan to her.

"You will forget her the moment another pretty face comes along."

"No," Loki said in reply. "No. I will not. For no Princess or Noble Lady could compare to her or hope to hold a candle to her. Believe you me, Allfather, I will not rest until your curse is broken."

With those words, he swept from the rooms.

Frigga sighed as she watched him leave. Turning to her husband, she fixed him with a simple look.

"What?"

"If she were but a simple tryst, as you put it," Frigga said. "If you truly believed that she meant nothing to him, then you would not have gone to such lengths. A curse such as the one you have enacted comes with a great price. Tell me, husband, what did you give in exchange for such an enchantment?"

For the first time in centuries, the great Allfather found himself unable to meet his wife's gaze.

"I see," the Queen murmured, nodding to herself. Sparing one last glance his way, she too departed, leaving the King to himself.

As the doors closed behind his wife, Odin sighed before speaking. "Come forward, you need no longer hide in the shadows."

A figure stepped forward at his words. A young woman. A young woman who bore a startling resemblance to the disgraced maid. She curtsied before the King, the black sleeves of her gown sweeping the floor as she did so. "My King," she purred.

"It is time you introduced yourself to my son," Odin said to her. "And do what you were summoned to do."

The woman nodded, a smiled curving her lips while her eyes flashed a brief white before changing to a familiar e/c. "Of course, my King. Let us test his heart and see if I cannot sway it away from her and prove his words to be but hollow."

Odin watched the young woman leave. Frigga's words came back to haunt him. Summoning a creature such as that did indeed come at a cost, one too high for him to even bare thinking of.


End file.
